'Battlestar' Guru Brings 'Virtuality' to FOX

Zap2It.com | April 14, 2008

Ronald D. Moore

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Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor wrote backdoor pilot for producers Lloyd Braun and Gail Berman

FOX has greenlit the two-hour back-door pilot "Virtuality" from Ronald D. Moore.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Moore wrote the "Virtuality" pilot with fellow "Battlestar Galactica" writer-producer Michael Taylor. The pair will produce along with former ABC and FOX execs Lloyd Braun and Gail Berman through their BermanBraun shingle.

Set up through Universal Media Studios, "Virtuality" focuses on the 12-member crew of Phaeton, a starship that leaves Earth on a 10-year exploratory mission. The ship has been equipped with state-of-the-art virtual reality modules that let the crew escape their constrained surroundings. Of course, when things start going wrong with the virtual reality, there are serious repercussions.

BermanBraun has a first-look deal with NBC Universal, but the trade paper says NBC felt "Virtuality" was "too sci-fi for the network."

This is FOX's second starship-themed project of this development season. The network has greenlit the comedy "Boldly Going Nowhere" from the team behind "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." That pilot wouldn't be shot until the fall after post-production on the latest "Philadelphia" season is completed.

In addition to his work on "Battlestar," which just began its final season, Moore's credits include "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Deep Space Nine," plus "Roswell" and "Carnivale."